Instant on video conferencing system and related method

Abstract

A system and method enable broadband communication between a remote or airborne station and a terrestrial network linking any other station around the earth. The airborne station connectivity may be routed either via a proximal LEO SAT belonging to a high density LEO SAT constellation as well as via a proximal ground based station directly connected with the terrestrial network. Latency values available to the airborne station are within tolerance for video conferencing by employing steerable antenna elements onboard the airborne station to establish connectivity with and actively track one or more proximal LEO SATs. The airborne station maintains connectivity with the ground based station where available via cellular geographical transmission patterns to deconflict specific bands of limited spectrum as well as protocols specific to the local wireless network. The high density LEO SAT constellation is networked and connected to the terrestrial network via several global down links.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for airborne broadband, comprising:
 a first station configured for a broadband radio frequency (RF) satcom connectivity and a broadband RF terrestrial connectivity with a terrestrial network; 
 a satcom electronically steerable array (ESA) antenna element onboard the first station configured for the broadband RF satcom connectivity with at least one low earth orbit satellite vehicle (LEO SAT) of a high density LEO SAT constellation, the satcom ESA antenna element limited in size for placement within an aircraft structure, the satcom ESA antenna element further configured for a programmable limited look angle from a zenith relative to the first station, the satcom ESA antenna element further configured for high line of sight tracking of the at least one LEO SAT, the high line of sight tracking including:
 establishing and maintaining the broadband RF satcom connectivity with a first LEO SAT of the at least one LEO SAT; 
 determining an imminent loss of the broadband RF satcom connectivity with the first LEO SAT, the imminent loss of broadband RF satcom connectivity based on one of: a received signal power level from the first LEO SAT and a current look angle to the first LEO SAT from the zenith; 
 establishing an initial connectivity with a second LEO SAT of the at least one LEO SAT; and 
 transitioning the broadband RF satcom connectivity from the first LEO SAT to the second LEO SAT; 
 
 a terrestrial antenna element onboard the first station configured for the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity with at least one ground station associated with the terrestrial network; and 
 a controller onboard the first station, the controller in data communication with the satcom ESA antenna element and the terrestrial antenna element, the controller configured for:
 determining a desired RF connectivity between the broadband RF satcom connectivity and the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity, the determining based on a user condition, the user condition including a bandwidth comparison, speed comparison, and cost comparison; 
 establishing a data connectivity between the first station and at least one of the broadband RF satcom connectivity and the terrestrial network connectivity via the desired RF connectivity; and 
 directing a content of the data connectivity to at least one recipient onboard the first station. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one ground station provides at least one upward directed RF beam, the at least one upward directed RF beam comprising a pattern of cellular geographical transmission areas, each cellular geographical transmission area 1) bounded by an azimuth and an elevation from the at least one ground station, 2) limited to transmission and reception on a frequency band, and 3) frequency deconflicted from an adjacent cellular geographical transmission area; the frequency band one of two or more frequency bands available to the at least one ground station; the terrestrial antenna element further configured for tracking the at least one ground station, the tracking including:
 establishing the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity with a first ground station via a first cellular geographical transmission area provided by the first ground station, the first cellular geographical transmission area limited to a first frequency band of the two or more frequency bands; 
 maintaining the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity within the first cellular geographical transmission area via the first frequency band; 
 determining a current azimuth and elevation from the first ground station to the terrestrial antenna element; 
 determining an imminent loss of the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity within the first cellular geographical transmission area, the imminent loss of the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity based on the current azimuth and elevation; 
 establishing an initial broadband RF terrestrial connectivity with a second cellular geographical transmission area provided by one of: the first ground station and a second ground station, the second cellular geographical transmission area limited to a second frequency band of the two or more frequency bands; and 
 transitioning the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity from the first cellular geographical transmission area to the second cellular geographical transmission area. 
 
     
     
       3. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein the terrestrial connectivity is established via one of: a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless data communication standard, a standard using a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) communications and a standard using a Time Division Duplex (TDD) communications. 
     
     
       4. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein the broadband RF satcom connectivity is established directly from the airborne station through a single LEO SAT of the high density LEO SAT constellation to the terrestrial network. 
     
     
       5. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein the first station executes a single enabling action to establish one of the broadband satcom connectivity and the terrestrial connectivity, the single enabling action available instantaneously from a maintenance standby mode. 
     
     
       6. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein the user condition is further based upon a regulatory connectivity comparison and a range comparison between the broadband RF satcom connectivity and the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity. 
     
     
       7. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein the satcom ESA antenna element further comprises one of: a flat panel ESA antenna, a curved panel ESA antenna and a set of independent mechanically tilted ESA antenna elements horizontally rotatable about a vertical axis of the first station. 
     
     
       8. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein each of the satcom ESA antenna element and the terrestrial antenna element are one of: multiple antenna elements disposed within a nose radome of an aircraft, dual antenna elements disposed within the nose radome of the aircraft, and a single antenna element including multiple elements disposed within the nose radome of the aircraft. 
     
     
       9. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 8 , wherein the single antenna element including multiple elements disposed within the nose radome of the aircraft is further configured as a multi-role antenna element configured for: 1) the broadband RF satcom connectivity, 2) the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity, and 3) transmission and reception of a weather radar signal. 
     
     
       10. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , further including a latency value associated with each of the broadband RF satcom connectivity and the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity is one of: less than one hundred milliseconds, a range from zero to two-hundred milliseconds, and less than fifty milliseconds. 
     
     
       11. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein the satcom ESA antenna element is limited in size to less than one foot in diameter for placement within the aircraft structure. 
     
     
       12. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity and the broadband RF satcom connectivity operates within one of: 1) a frequency range from 5.725 GHz to 5.805 GHz, 2) a frequency range of 12 to 18 GHz inclusive of the Ku band, 3) a frequency range from an unlicensed band, including one of an unlicensed 2.4 GHz band and an unlicensed 5 GHz band, and 4) a frequency range reallocated from a purpose other than communication. 
     
     
       13. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the satcom ESA antenna element and the terrestrial antenna element is configured for mounting within an unmodified nose radome of an aircraft. 
     
     
       14. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured for maintaining connectivity with the terrestrial network via at least one of a cellular base station transfer protocol, a mobile internet protocol, and a combination of the cellular base station transfer and mobile internet protocols. 
     
     
       15. The system for airborne broadband of  claim 1 , further including a software defined radio configured for establishing the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity with the terrestrial network, the software defined radio configured for adapting to a plurality of protocols from each of a plurality of the at least one ground station. 
     
     
       16. A method for airborne broadband, comprising:
 establishing a radio frequency (RF) satcom connectivity between a first station and a terrestrial network, the first station configured for broadband RF satcom connectivity via a satcom electronically steerable array (ESA) antenna element onboard the first station configured for the broadband RF satcom connectivity with at least one low earth orbit satellite vehicle (LEO SAT) of a high density LEO SAT constellation, the satcom ESA antenna element limited in size for placement within an aircraft structure; the satcom ESA antenna element further configured for a programmable limited look angle from a zenith relative to the first station; 
 establishing and maintaining the broadband RF satcom connectivity via a first LEO SAT of the at least one LEO SAT via a high line of sight tracking of the at least one LEO SAT, the high line of sight tracking including:
 determining an imminent loss of the broadband RF satcom connectivity with the first LEO SAT, the imminent loss of broadband RF satcom connectivity based on one of: a received signal power level from the first LEO SAT and a current look angle to the first LEO SAT from the zenith; 
 establishing an initial connectivity with a second LEO SAT of the at least one LEO SAT; and 
 transitioning the broadband RF satcom connectivity from the first LEO SAT to the second LEO SAT; 
 
 establishing a broadband RF terrestrial connectivity between the first station and the terrestrial network, the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity via a terrestrial antenna element onboard the first station configured for the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity with at least one ground station associated with the terrestrial network hexagonal; 
 determining a desired RF connectivity between the broadband RF satcom connectivity and the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity, the determining based on a user condition, the user condition including a bandwidth comparison, speed comparison, and cost comparison, the determining via a controller onboard the first station in data communication with the satcom ESA antenna element and the terrestrial antenna element; 
 establishing a data connectivity between the first station and at least one of the broadband RF satcom connectivity and the terrestrial network connectivity via the desired RF connectivity; and 
 directing, via the controller, a content of the data connectivity to at least one recipient onboard the first station. 
 
     
     
       17. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one ground station provides at least one upward directed RF beam, the at least one upward directed RF beam comprising a pattern of cellular geographical transmission areas, each cellular geographical transmission area 1) bounded by an azimuth and an elevation from the at least one ground station, 2) limited to transmission and reception on a frequency band and 3) frequency deconflicted from an adjacent cellular geographical transmission area; the frequency band one of two or more frequency bands available to the at least one ground station; the terrestrial antenna element further configured for tracking the at least one ground station, the tracking including:
 establishing the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity between the first station and a first ground station via a first cellular geographical transmission area provided by the first ground station, the first cellular geographical transmission area limited to a first frequency band of the two or more frequency bands; 
 maintaining the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity within the first cellular geographical transmission area via the first frequency band; 
 determining a current azimuth and elevation from the first ground station to the terrestrial antenna element; 
 determining an imminent loss of the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity within the first cellular geographical transmission area, the imminent loss of the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity based on the current azimuth and elevation; 
 establishing initial broadband RF terrestrial connectivity with a second cellular geographical transmission area provided by the first ground station, the second cellular geographical transmission area limited to a second frequency band of the two or more frequency bands; and 
 transitioning the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity from the first cellular geographical transmission area to the second cellular geographical transmission area. 
 
     
     
       18. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 16 , wherein the terrestrial connectivity is established via one of: a Long-Term Evolution wireless data communication standard, a standard using a Frequency Division Duplex communications and a standard using a Time Division Duplex communications. 
     
     
       19. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 16 , wherein the user condition is further based upon a regulatory connectivity comparison and a range comparison between the broadband RF satcom connectivity and the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity. 
     
     
       20. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 16 , wherein the satcom ESA antenna element further comprises one of: a flat panel Electronically Scanned Array (ESA) antenna, a curved panel ESA antenna and a set of independent mechanically tilted ESA antenna elements horizontally rotatable about a vertical axis of the first station. 
     
     
       21. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 16 , wherein each of the satcom ESA antenna element and the terrestrial antenna element are one of: multiple antenna elements disposed within a nose radome of an aircraft, dual antenna elements disposed within the nose radome of the aircraft, and a single antenna element including multiple elements disposed within the nose radome of the aircraft, and wherein each of the satcom ESA antenna and the terrestrial antenna is configured for mounting within an unmodified nose radome of an aircraft. 
     
     
       22. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 21 , wherein the single antenna element including multiple elements disposed within the nose radome of the aircraft is further configured as a multi-role antenna element configured for: 1) the broadband RF satcom connectivity, 2) the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity and 3) transmission and reception of weather radar signals. 
     
     
       23. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 16 , further including a latency value associated with each of the satcom connectivity and the terrestrial connectivity is one of: less than one hundred milliseconds, a range from zero to two-hundred milliseconds and less than fifty milliseconds. 
     
     
       24. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 16 , wherein the satcom ESA antenna element is limited in size to less than one foot in diameter for placement within the aircraft structure. 
     
     
       25. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the terrestrial connectivity and the satcom connectivity operates within one of: 1) a frequency range from 5.725 GHz to 5.805 GHz, 2) a frequency range of 12 to 18 GHz inclusive of the Ku band, 3) a frequency range from an unlicensed band including one of an unlicensed 2.4 GHz band and an unlicensed 5 GHz band, and 4) a frequency range reallocated from a purpose other than communication, and 5) a frequency band associated with one of VHF, UHF, L, S, F, C, X, K, Q, U, V, E W, F, D, THz and optical bands. 
     
     
       26. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 16 , wherein maintaining the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity further includes the controller maintaining connectivity with the terrestrial network via at least one of a cellular base station transfer protocol, a mobile internet protocol and a combination of the cellular base station transfer and mobile internet protocols. 
     
     
       27. The method for airborne broadband of  claim 16 , wherein establishing the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity further includes a software defined radio onboard the first station configured for establishing the broadband RF terrestrial connectivity with the terrestrial network, the software defined radio configured for adapting to a plurality of protocols from each of a plurality of terrestrial networks.